Rural crime cost jumps 10% in Cumbria as organised crime sees UK cost exceed £50m, NFU Mutual warns

NFU Mutual’s new report reveals that rural crime cost the UK an estimated £52.8m in 2023, up from £50.6m the previous year.

In a sign of the increasing organisation and sophistication of criminals, Global Positioning System (GPS) units were targeted by gangs throughout 2023, causing the value of claims to NFU Mutual to rocket by 137% to an estimated £4.2m. Intelligence shows thieves frequently target several farms in one night before moving locations to steal these highly valuable and portable kits, often revisiting farmyards weeks later to steal any replacements.

The high-tech equipment, typically costing over £10,000 a unit, is used to guide tractors and combine harvesters to improve accuracy. Without it, farmers and agricultural contractors can face severe delays and disruption to harvesting and cultivating work.

Quad bikes and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) were also top targets for rural thieves, with thefts up 9% to an estimated £3.2m in claim costs reported to NFU Mutual last year. The very nature of farmland makes these vehicles essential to farmers’ ability to get around their fields and effectively complete work, making a theft highly disruptive, especially during peak seasons.

However, in a positive sign of the co-ordinated action against thieves, the total claims cost for agricultural vehicles thefts reported to NFU Mutual fell 9% to an estimated £10.7m in 2023.

Livestock theft remained high in 2023, at an estimated cost of £2.7m across the UK. Last year saw a spate of alarming incidents where farm animals were butchered in fields, an upsetting sight for those discovering the gruesome remains that the criminals had left behind.

Farm animals worth an estimated £2.4m were severely injured or killed in dog attacks across the UK in 2023, up nearly 30% compared to the previous year.

Sharp rises in inflation in 2023 made farming equipment an attractive target for organised gangs and meant each theft cost the rural community more than in previous years. But a co-ordinated response against crime saw a reduction in the number of agricultural vehicle claims reported to NFU Mutual.

To help farmers and rural communities protect their livelihoods from the threat posed by organised crime, NFU Mutual has provided over £1m since 2021 in support for initiatives to tackle rural crime.

In 2023, NFU Mutual became a major funder of the National Rural Crime Unit (NRCU). Formally established last April, the unit is staffed by police officers with experience in detecting and preventing rural crime, with investigative powers to track and intercept stolen machinery and equipment.

And in 2024, NFU Mutual has funded the UK’s first livestock theft officer at the NRCU to tackle this upsetting crime.

Martyn Jeal, Senior Agent at NFU Mutual Penrith, said: "All the indications suggest rural crime is becoming more organised, sophisticated and determined in its nature, which is incredibly alarming for people who live and work in the countryside.

"While the overall cost of agricultural vehicle theft fell, thanks to co-ordinated efforts, it is concerning to see the value of GPS and ATV thefts continue to rise, with thieves turning to technology to scope out locations.

"Intelligence highlights these criminals often target several farms in one night before moving locations, then return weeks later looking to steal any replacements.

"As the UK’s leading rural insurer, we know the impact of rural crime goes well beyond the practicalities of farming. It’s the unnerving feeling that criminals have boldly staked out and targeted farmyards and fields, often a few feet from the family home. It’s also living in fear of repeat attacks, knowing that thieves are always looking for new ways to target rural communities.

"That is why it’s so important for insurers, farmers, manufacturers, police and politicians to continue to work together to provide a united response to the challenge presented by both organised criminals and opportunistic thieves.

"We will also continue to support farmers directly to help protect their livelihoods, offer expertise as the main insurer of farmers and provide advice to tackle rural crime.”

A survey of NFU Mutual Agents, who are often embedded in the local communities they serve, found 91% believed thieves were more organised, with 82% percent saying they knew farmers who had been impacted by rural crime in their area.*

Shockingly, 86% of NFU Mutual Agents said rural crime was negatively impacting farmers’ mental wellbeing and 77% knew farmers who had been repeat victims.